Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-27
HAS BEEN TIED up FOR YEARS.
Had prsa,eamsns Of an 1n..n. wo.

CLIFTON, Ill, July 28.-"Henry Alters
reports n case OF inhumanity that came
under his notice while In Dewitt county
last week. About five miles west oil
Clinton, On the Havana line II the I'LL.
nois Central, he saw an insane woman
bound to u tree with an inch chain fast.
ened in an iron collar which encircled
the unfortunate woman's neck. He wa
Informed that the woman had been IN
this condition for thirty years.
The above originally appeared in the
Kankakee Gazette, and contains o pecu,
LA story. Fifty years ago the woman
was born. In her infancy she suffered
from an unusually severe attack of brain
fever and did not recover. Total deaf
ness followed, her mind wal dethroned and
she became a hopeless imbecfle. Never
has she uttered an intslligib!e word, nor
never did she do anything unlesa guided
by instinct. During these long years she
has been an anxious care to her parents,
yet, strange to say, OF fourteen brothers
and sisters she is the most beloved by her
parents. In youth the woman rave
friends q great deal of trouble by aim.
lessly wandering off from home, and ire.
quentiv much time and trouble were
caused In the endeavor to 1nd her.
OF late years, her parents being too old
70 follow her in her wanderings, some
plan had to be devised to keep her al
home. Her malady was of an incurable
type, and consequently sho could not he
admitted to any Of the State Institutions.
The burden OF her sare rested upon her
parents. AT frat ropes were used ID
fasten her with whom she wal out In the
yard, and they were always long enough
TO give her a limited anaount OF freedom.
These she would bite through with her
teeth and then wander od. Then i light
chain was tried, fastened with a loose
strap around her waist, bus this ID
time she managed to slip out OF, Yha
next remedy was to secure her by q strap
above b ankle, but this the mother
thought too painful and was abandoned.
The last nlan has proved the most eject.
ual. A loose strap sncirclss her mock,
and from this there Is another. long
strap which Unsupported from a wire. The
wire Is some thirty or forty feet long, one
end being fastened to the house and the
ouher to q tree. Along this wire a rims
IN the strap slips, so that the woman ear
move around at viii, though the territory
OF which she Is lord over Is brought down
to rather narrow confines. It was In this
latter condition that bridge carpenters on
the champaign division Of the Illinois
Central recently discovered her and ear
ried away the above exaggerated account.
The woman is of q weil.to-do aud. In
telligent family. Her aArly misfortune
and prolonged survival have made Her
an object OF universal pity. Grent care
has been taken to ehield her from public
scrutiny and comment, and III q measure
1t has been successful. As q singular
event In her life 10 may be mentioned
that some years &go she acquired a weird
fascination for two huge clubs, and
through constant usage they have become
80 worn that they are not now much
larger than good-siEsd twtgs. With these
once formidable weapons constantly in
her possession 1t would seem that she
was vicious and dangerous, but, on the
contrary, she Is quito passive. 1t Is only
when they are taken away that she man
ifests any u~neasiness Or anger,
Acting upon q report sent him, DIR.
Wines, secretary Of the state board OF
charities, came 20 Clinton "Wednesday te
investigate the matter. he saw the wo.
man and inspected the novel arrange,
raents for her care, He Expressed him.
self satisfied thSt BY NO other means
could the unfortunate woman be KEEP,
safe at home. Instead az the plan being
.inhuman" itis the best that can b
done for her